Method of and means for giving signals.



T. BROADBENT 5: J. MATES.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GIVING SIGNALS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

i 2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

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' I g i no A L 9 2 i 8 V/ i t 4 Wt Inventors:

l messes Thomas Braclbent,

I \James lYlates, M 1' b5 y W Th t'tor g5.

T. BROADBENT & J. MATES.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GIVING SIGNALS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1912. 1,078,823 Patented Nov. 18,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor-s: Witnesses: ThomasB'roaclbent,

J [Y] t. by a M @W I Theiroqttor-neg.

THOMAS BROADBENI AND JAMES MATES, 0E SCHEHECTADY, YOB K.

METHOD or A MEANS res am ne stamens.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. $8, 1913.

Application filed September as 19l 2. Serial Ho. 721345;.

T all u 0 i may on e -I Be it own that we, THOMAS Bnoansnnr and James MATES, citizens of the United States, and residents of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain "new and useful Imrovements in Methods of and Means f riivin S gna s, f which e fo l mg s speci cation.

T s nven i n r l tes t signa ng an t consists a method of and n eans for giving a 9 in a dis inc ve s gse at m ht by means o a Search gh p oje The gna is inte ded se al y a a d s-i r ss s gna ea, an Wil b s b in that connection, though it is equally well adapted for use on land as an emergency signal for any desired purpose, or for ad: t sins or disp ay P rp s Th Si .e on sts in Q m d i ns a beam of fight from a Searchlight projector that an observer will see said beam com: posed, at one moment of parallel alternate p rti n$ of lig t an sh d a an moment as a single beam. This alternation in a pearance recurs at regular intervals, say ve or six times a minute, so that the attention of the beholder is at once arrested, and the meaning of the signal is unmistak-i able to a skilled observer.

The means bywhich we prefer to produce this signal comprises what we call shadow bars placed across the face of the Search. light projector, said bars bein parallel and, spaced apa tween them. Two shadow bars are sufiicient to divide the broad beam of light into five lter i and two of darkness, producing a mar appearance which cannot fail to attract at-. tent-ion. In addition to the shadow bars, we provide means for causing the light beani to appear [alternately banded an Various ways of accomplishing this result may be devised, but we prefer to revolve the shadow bars in their own plane in front of the projector so that the entire beam composed of parallel bands of light and shadow seems to rotate on its axis. When the bands present their edges to the observer, he gets the banded efiect, but when all the bands are superposed, he gets the effect of a single broad beam of light. Substantially the same effect can be obtained by using a screen containing two or more holes or slots for the rt to permit the lig t to pass be narrow bands. three of light? single.

light t Pass t ree 11 If in addition to hl$ alte nat bend? and single appearance the am t li t he pmie' t itsel is vc ved m z muit the sweep across the sky 9 thi peeul ar'rqtating sh .ft of ii h canno fail to attract the atten 1011 f Jersen ev n at a l g s an In the. ace gnpanyin draw ng F e 1 s a front elevatiojp o g. searchligh proector arrange 'tQ ca in effect 0 1' i proved method t signa ing; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the standards being br ke away; F s- 3 is ac os -s e oi the frame, gear and a shadow bar- Fig. 4 shows a modi cation; Fi s. 5 and 6 how a further modification, and I igs 7 and illustrate the banded and single appearance of the rotatng beam.

The Searchlight projector 1 may be of any desired type or construction, provided it has a strong annular frame 2 surrounding its front end which to support the shadow bars and their operating mechanism. In Fig 3, this frame is shown as rabheted to receive a ring rotatable thereon, preferably an annular gear 3 having teeth 4. The gear is preferably mounted on an antifriction ball-bearing composed of a plurality of steel balls 5 received in registering semicircular grooves 6 and 7 in the frame and gear respectively. An annular guard plate 8 is secured to the frame and overlaps the front of the gear.

Projecting from the front of the gear are posts 9 to support the shadow bars 10. The

posts are tall enough to enable said bars to clear the handles 11 which are attached to the rim 12 of the usual glass front 13 of the projector. The bars 10 are made of thin sheet metal or other suitable opaque ma terial. Their width is preferably about onefifth the diameter of the front of the projector, and theirends are curved concentric with the gear 3. They are fastened to the posts 9 in any suitable manner by some fastening which can be quickly operated, so that they can be put in place and removed with great readiness. A convenient form of fa s toning is a wing nut 1 3: screwed upon a stud projecting from the post through an opening in the shadow bar. Sufiicient play must be allowed for expansion and contraction of the bars.

When secured in place, the bars lie parallel with each otheracross the front of the projector, cuttingofl' the light rays which otherwise would stream out in the zones occupied by said bars. Assuming the face of the projector to be divided into five parallel zones of equal width, those occupied by the bars are the two adjacent to the middle one, above and below.

In order to revolve the shadow bars, and thus give the eti'ect of rotating the beam of light emer ing from the projector, we rovide a sha t 15 mounted in suitable hearings on the barrel of the projector and having a pinion 16 meshing with the gear 3. A hand wheel 17 enables said shaft to be rotated by hand when desired, but it is preferred to operate it by a small electric motor 18 mounted on the barrel of the projector. A housing 19 covers the gear 3 and the pinion 16.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the gear ring is mounted on rollers 20 instead of balls, the rollers being rabbeted into suitable transverse grooves in the frame 2.

When the searchlight projector is unusually large, so that the lamp cannot be lifted in and out through the gear ring, but must he slid in on ways in the receptacle depending below the barrel of the projector, the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be used. Here the annular gear is mounted on a strong rabbeted ring 21, which serves as an auxiliary frame and is provided with heavy lugs 22 on its rear side. Bolts 23 pass through these lugs and secure the ring to the frame 2, which does not have to be modified. The lugs hold the annular gear away from the face of the projector so that the shadow bars can readily clear the handles 11 and other projections. The entire device can be quickly applied to a Searchlight, all that it is necessary to do being the insertion of the bolts 23 and the meshing of the gear teeth with the pinion on the shaft 15, which with its hand-wheel and motor are permanently secured in place. This construction may be adopted, also, in the smaller sizes of projectors, if so desired. If desired, more than one annular gear provided with shadow bars may be used to obtain various kaleidoscopic efi'ects.

In operation, the annular gear 3 is revolved, either by hand or by the motor 18, carrying the shadow bars with it, and thus apparently rotatin the zones of light and shade on the axis of the entire beam of light. If the projector is pointed upward at a considerab e angle to the horizon, this rotation causes a succession of handed and solid beams, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, which form a most distinctive night signal and one whose meaning, when once known, is instantly reco ized. Moreover, there is little or no liabihty that the signal can be produced accidentally, because mechanism substantially the same as that hcreinbefore described must be used to produce it.

We have referred to the alternate bands of light and shadow as being parallel but this word is to be understood in its broadest significance only, because it is almost a physical impossibility to maintain the beam from a Searchlight at the same diameter throughout its entire length. The rays of lightusually diverge a little so that the area illuminated is larger than the shell of the projector. The result is, that the alternate hands of the light and shadow produced by our device will broaden somewhat as they rccede from the projector but will maintain their relative width and the same distinctive appearance. The word parallel, therefore, in the specification and claims 'as a plied to the bands of light and shadow wlll be understood as meaning side by side rather than mathematically parallel.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have described the princi le of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s: I

1. The combination with a search light projector, of means for cutting off the rays of light in certain parallel transverse zones of the beam from said projector, and means for causing a rotation on its axis of the resulting banded beam.

2. The combination with a Searchlight projector, of parallel shadow bars placed across its face and means for rotating on its longitudinal axis the banded beam of light thus produced.

3. The combination with a Searchlight projector, of an annular gear supported by the front frame and lying in a plane erpendicular to the axis of the beam of light emitted by said projector, parallel shadow bars secured to said gear and extending across the face of said projector in a plane transverse to said beam of light, and means for revolving said gear and bars in their own lane.

4. The combination with a searchli ht projector, of an annular gear supported by the front frame and lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the beam of 11 ht emitted by said projector, parallel sha ow bars detachably secured to said gear and extending across the face of said projector in a plane transverse to said beam of light, and means for revolving said gear and bars in their own plane.

5. The combination with a Searchlight projector, of an annular gear supported by the front frame of said projector, posts projecting from said ear, parallel shadow bars transverse zones of ii t and shadow, of detachably secu to said posts, and means means for rotating sai beam upon its lonfor revolving said gear. gitudinal axis.

6. The combinatlon with a searchlight In witness whereof, we have hereunto set 15 5 ggojector, of a ring having lugs adapted to our hands this 18th day of September, 1912.

secured to the front frame of said projector, an annular gear mounted on said BENT ring, parallel shadow bars carried by said gear, and means for revolving said gear. Witnesses: 10 7. The combination with means for divid- Gno. P. Wm'rrmsnr,

ing a beam of light into alternate parallel Es'rmm H. Muss. 

